My Pregnancy Pantry – How To Get Rid Of Water Weight
Water retention is far more than just an unsightly nuisance; it’s one of the first indicators that your body may be in fat-storing mode
Human beings are masters of water retention. The water defence system is comprised of a series of hormones that regulate hydration and fluid distribution with the primary directive being to protect you from drying up like a raisin. Barring water retention caused by normal fluctuations in female hormones, there are two types of people who retain fluid: people who are dehydrated and people who are sick. The bottom line is that water retention is either occurring because you’re dehydrated or because you’re body is in some sort of crisis.
Let’s assume that you’re not suffering with some sort of chronic disease that leads to water retention, nor are you taking a medication that is causing abnormal water retention. So, here’s some ways to lose water weight:
STEP 1: DRINK WATER.
What? Drink water to lose water? You got it!
By not drinking enough water, you’re telling the body to become very stingy with water and it will start to stockpile it into areas of the body that don’t normally retain water…in essence, you will develop camel’s humps in strange areas like the abdomen and lower legs. When your body is in water retention mode, drinking water instructs the body that the drought is over and so it will immediately release the excess. In essence, water itself becomes a diuretic!
STEP 2: EAT YOUR WATER
We often times get caught up in drinking water without realising that we are also meant to “eat our water”. By “eat your water” we are of course referring to eating fruits and vegetables, which carry vital electrolytes and trace minerals with the water. These minerals are important to making sure that the water gets into the cells, where you can enjoy the benefits of hydration. The bottom line is, the more water you eat…the less you need to drink.
STEP 3: CUT CARBOHYDRATES
The number one cause of water retention in our society is an excess of carb intake. Too many carbs will trigger insulin production, which causes sodium retention, which…you guessed it, causes water retention. When people cut carbs significantly, the first thing that they report is that they’re urinating more often.
STEP 4: CUT SODIUM AND INCREASE POTASSIUM
Its common sense that excess levels of sodium will cause water retention and some folks are more susceptible than others. It’s less well known that consuming enough potassium is as important as avoiding excess sodium. You get potassium from fruits and vegetables.
STEP 5: EXERCISE. EXERCISE. EXERCISE.
Exercise can be one of the fastest ways to help the body regulate fluid. Exercise improves insulin sensitivity, decreases stored glycogen, and helps to eject excess sodium from the body through sweat. Although exercise has its own effects, it will potentiate the effects of the other recommendations in this article. Please note that although sodium is the primary electrolyte lost during heavy sweating, potassium and chloride can also be depleted so be careful to replete other electrolytes. So to make it clear and simple, fluid retention is not benign; it’s an indication that conditions are right for fat storage and disease. By drinking more clean water, eating tons of fruits and veggies, cutting carbohydrates, cutting sodium, increasing potassium and exercising regularly, you’ll change the chemistry in a good way and you will lose water weight! Beyond losing water weight, you’ll also increase energy, decrease inches, and live a healthier life!